A six-panel page in Zap #1 that caused Crumb a lot of trouble, KOT struck a note
in the collective hip unconscious. For a while, KOT was everywhere. The
characters and their odd mode of pedal ambulation were made into merchandise,
mostly without permission. In the early '70s, Crumb's lawyer threatened suits
against anyone who had swiped Crumb's work or ideas. Thousands of dollars rolled
in. Then in 1976 a judge ruled that Crumb didn't own KOT --and suddenly
he was being pursued by the IRS for the taxes they said he owed on past
royalties. Crumb didn't dig himself out of that hole for years.
In 1965, Crumb took some bad acid that left his
perceptions "fuzzy" for several months. He couldn't function well on the physical
plane, but his smeared brain invented and his hand recorded in his sketchbooks
such characters as the Snoid, Flakey Foont, Eggs Ackly,
Shuman the Human, and, foremost among them, this guy. Equal parts con man and
saint, Mr. Natural was everyone's favorite cartoon guru. Dispenser of wisdom,
kicker of silly asses, Mr. Natural had a bad stretch in the '70s when he was
committed to an asylum. He came back in the '80s, only slightly the worse for the
wear.
One of Crumb's most famous characters, Fritz
took his name and personality from two felines in the young Crumb's household.
Created in 1959, Fritz's adventures were first recorded in little notebooks, then
in Harvey Kurtzman's Help! , then in Head Comix , and finally in
a book of his own in 1969. A glib, fast-talker popular with women, Fritz's next
step up was his own movie, a hit in the early 1970s. A second film followed.
Crumb disowned them both. Sickened by the notoriety the character had brought
him, indignant at how Fritz was portrayed, Crumb used the Leon Trotsky
icepick-in-the-head method to kill Fritz in People's Comix , 1972.
This is Whiteman, introduced in Zap Comix #1. When readers met him, he
stood for everything wrong with the guys who ran America. Whiteman's chief
concern was keeping a tight asshole in all situations. A hard charger, he was
both on the go and constipated. Whiteman kept his gut sucked in and his chest
thrust out. Whiteman wanted people to think he was tough--and he was--but
maintaining the facade was hard work. Crumb
rescued him in Home Grown Funnies . He was kidnapped by Yetti and
underwent an epiphany in the woods. He found happiness with the forest creature.
His bowels no longer on fire, able to satisfy his lust any time he wanted, this
former paragon abandoned his wife, kids and civilization for eternal comic book
heaven with Yetti.
He's Mister Snoid to you. One of the characters Crumb created during his "fuzzy" acid period in the
mid 1960s, the Snoid has made his presence felt in many a comic book, and even
had his own solo book (Snoid Comix , 1980). This little guy is capable of
anything when it comes to sex. He seems to represent the id. We'll let you guess
whose. He can appear anywhere, from the sewer to the doctor's office. Since he's
buil close to the ground, he either directs his attentions to the lower half of
bodies, or he climbs legs and other bits of anatomy to work his perverted wiles.
An unsavory little peckerhead, to be sure.
In the 1980s, Crumb's solo books were Hup
1, 2 and 3. In them he brought back Mr. Natural and
Flakey Foont, and introduced the young lady to your right. Her name is Cheryl
Borck and she calls herself Devil Girl. Foont can't get her out of his mind. From
the time they met, Devil Girl's outrageous tongue and zoftig body have
been plaguing his thoughts. He is about willing to throw over everything he has
just to be near her. He knows he's a fool, but it makes no difference. The only
guy for Devil Girl seems to be Mr. Natural, and even he has his hands full. This
woman is one of the strongest characters Crumb has ever created. Like Foont, you
won't soon forget Devil Girl.
(c) 1991 Robert Crumb
Used by permission of Kitchen Sink Press, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
(c) 1991 Robert Crumb
Used by permission of Kitchen Sink Press, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
(c) 1991 Robert Crumb
Used by permission of Kitchen Sink Press, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
(c) 1991 Robert Crumb
Used by permission of Kitchen Sink Press, Inc.
All Rights
Reserved.
Last modified Aug. 15, 1995.